Sheet-metal-working machine.



Patented Oct. 9,1917.

2 SHEET$SHEET I P. KRUSE.

SHEET METAL womuus MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-(M1915.

rlllih M 1 INVENTOR By Attorneys, akaau .Qwv J P. KRUSE.

SHEET METAL WORKING MACHINE. APPUCATION FILED OCT. B. 1915.

1,242,206. Patented 00th 9,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- A 6% 1 INVENTOR WITNESSES: %!4

4 9 g T By A liomeys,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER KRUSE, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SHEET'METAL-WORKING MACHINE.

Application fled October 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER Know, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSheet-Metal-Working Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sheet metal working machines, and aims toprovide certain improvements therein.

Improved means for positioning and feeding sheets of metal from oneposition to another through the machine, are provided by the presentinvention.

Other features of improvement will be hereinafter referred to.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings.

The invention has been shown as incorporated in a machine for making canbodies. The invention may, however, be otherwise embodied and otherwiseapplied.

In said drawings,-

Fi re 1 is a top plan view of so much of a ody making machine as isnecessary to illustrate the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the construe-- tion shown in Fig. 1, withparts in section;

Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a vertical sectional View, and a top planview, illustrating in detail one embodiment of the improved feedingmeans;

Figs. 5 and 6 are like views of another embodiment of the improvedfeeding means;

Fig. 7 shows an end elevation of the machine.

In said drawings, the letter A designates a suitable table or benchforming the frame of the machine, the general construction of themachine being similar to that described in my U. S. Patent No.1,081,050, dated December 9, 1913.

B, B are a plurality of feed bars working in suitable guide-ways in thetop face of the table A, preferably attached to a slide block or pieceC, and adapted to be reciprocated by a suitable means, as for instance,a train of links and levers b, b, 6 connected to a crank pin 6 upon adisk b mounted upon a main drive-shaft D. The feed bars B. B areprovided with a plurality of feed fingers, certain or all of which, asfor instance the fingers E, may be formed so as to act to confine, inone direction or in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1917.

Serial No. 54,757.

other, perpendicularly of the sheet, or in both directions, the edges ormargins of the sheets of material X with which they are brought intocontact. These feed fingers E may grip the edges of the sheets, as in myaforesaid Patent No. 1,081,050, but preferably do not grip the edges ofthe sheet, but simply confine the upper or lower, or the upper and loweredge or marginal portions,

the feed fingers E being formed with a slot or recess e for the purpose.However, one or other of the parts e of the fingers E on either side ofthe recess a may be omitted, where it is desired or necessary to confinethe edge portions of the sheets in but one perpendicular direction.Other feed fingers E may be provided, if desired, as for instance, wherethe sheets of metal are to be fed to an idle position.

The arms E are pivoted upon the feed bars B, as at e, and are adapted tobe depressed against the pressure of a spring a as they move rearwardly,being so depressed by the sheets of metal with which they come incontact in moving rearwardly. A stop a limits the extent of theprojection of the feed finger E above the upper face of the feed bars.

F F and F designate a plurality of mechanisms by which the sheets ofmetal are worked upon. In the construction illustrated, the mechanism Fis a notching mechanism for forming notches in the sides of the sheetsof metal, the mechanism F is a flanging mechanism by which flanges orhooks are formed on the notched sides of the sheets, and F is a bodyforming mechanism comprisin a horn G around which the sheets are cut andthe ends interlocked and joined in well-known manner. The function ofthe feed mechanism is to feed the sheets of metal to an exact positionwith relation to these several mechanisms F, F and F, it being essentialto the formation of a can that the sheets be operated upon at precisepoints by the several mechanisms, and that the ends of the sheets andthe notches therein shall properly match when wrapped around the hornand the ends joined.

Sheets of metal are fed to the machine in any suitable manner (by handif desired), and are carried forward by the feed fingers upon successivereciprocation of the feed bars B, B. An automatic feed I is shown, theconstruction of which is fully dmcribed in Patent No. 1,081,050aforesaid. As the feed bars B. B move forward, the sheets of metal X arecarried forward In the feed fingers beyond stops H H and a mounted upona fixed part of the machine. The sheets of metal are preferably movedslightly beyond the stops, and, during the rearward movement of the feedfingers are moved rearwardly against the stops H H or H by suitablemeans, as by the means P, illustrated in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, or themeans Q. illustrated in detail in Figs. 5 and 6.

As shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, the means P may comprise a bar orblade p having a cam face 19 thereon. The bar 7) is adapted toreciprocate vertically, and to this end it may convenientl be mountedupon a reciprocating part 0 the notching mechanism F, as illustrated atp. The means P act to push the sheet rcarwardly against the stops HOrdinary feed finers E are shown as bein employed in conunction with themeans though the feed fingers with a recess or notch therein may beemployed.

As shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6, the means Q may comprise aspring-pressed rod g. The rod may be mounted 'in an adjustable sleeve 9,by which the position of the end of the rod with relation to theadjacent edge of the sheet may be adjusted. The end of the rod may alsobe threaded and provided with a nut g by means of which the tension ofthe spring 9 may be adjusted.

The means Q. may be mounted in suitable brackets g attached to the frameof the machine.

The feed fingers E on their forward movement preferably act to feed thesheets beyond the stops H and against the ends of the rods 9, the springg" being compressed. As the feed fingers E move into engagement with thesheet of metal, the edge portions of the sheets are received in therecesses e of the feed fingers and are confined above and below by thefeed fingers. As the feed fingers E move rearwardly, the rods 9 arepressed rearwardly by the springs and move the sheet of metal rearwardlyagainst the stops H", the sheets being held in the recess e in thefingers E. The sheet is guided in its rearward movement, and preventedfrom being deflected or bent in such manner as not to be stopped by thestop H or to be stopped in the proper position. The feed fingers E withthe recesses e therein also in practice act to prevent transversedisplacement of the sheet, the width of the recess being such that anytransverse ressure on the sheet would cause slight bending or buckling,which would cause the sheet to bind against the walls of the recess.

The construction wherein the sheets of metal are pushed rearwardlagainst stops, while the edge portions of t e sheet during the rearwardmovement are embraced, con fined or supported by the feed fingers, is ofspecial importance where the ends of the blank are unsupported, as forinstance, in the osition where the sheets are acted upon by t c horn.

The horn G is preferably adapted to be raised and lowered in conjunctionwith the feeding of the sheets, as described in the atent hereinbeforereferred to, the horn bemg mounted upon a slide 9 which is raised byanother slide f, the slide f being actuated by a lever f connected to arod f, the rod being connected to a crank lever f actuated by a cam f onthe shaft D. The slide g is pressed down by a spring 9 carried in a part9' attached to a fixed part of the machine. The raisin of the horn Gallows the feedingiand positioning movements of the sheets to take placewithout interference by the horn. When the sheets are fed beneath thehorn, an abutment g is preferably provided, which acts as a support whenthe sheets are being fed beneath the horn, and also acts as an abutmentagainst which the sheets may be clamped by the horn.

Strips b" are preferably provided, which are adapted to bear upon theupper sides of the sheets X with slight friction, the friction, however,not being sufiicient to prevent the feeding or positioning movements ofthe sheets.

The operation of the device is as follows:The sheets of metal areengaged by the feed fingers E or E, the adjacent marginal portions ofthe sheets fittin within the recesses e of the feed fingers The sheetsare carried forward beyond, and referably slightly beyond, the stops H 2or H. The sheets are then acted upon by the means P or Q, and pushedrearwardly against the stops. The means Q act to push the sheetrearwardly while the edge or marginal portions are still in the recessese in the feed fingers E, the edges of the sheet being thereby preventedfrom being deflected up or down while movin against the sto s. The hornG is preferab? raised while 51c sheets are being fed and positionedunder the same. When in position with reference to the mechanisms F, Fand F, the sheets are suitably acted upon by said mechanisms.

The inventive ideas are capable of receivmg other embodiments than thosespecifica 1y illustrated and described.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is set forth and claimed in adivisional application Serial No. 89,047, filed April 5, 1916.

What is claimed is 1. In sheet metal working machines, the combinationof a relatively narrow support, a reciprocatory feed means adapted tofeed a sheet of metal over said support with its edges projecting intospace on each side of said support, said reciprocatory feed meanscomprising feed fingers having means thereon for supporting theprojecting portions of said sheet when fed over said narrow support toprevent sa stops for preventing back movement 0 said sheet, and meansindependent of said feed fingers for setting said sheet back againstsaid back stop.

2. In sheet metal working machines, the combination of a relativelynarrow support, a reciprocatory feed means adapted to feed a sheet ofmetal over said support with its edges projecting into space on eachside of said support, said reciprocatory feed means comprising feedfingers having means thereon for supporting the projecting por tions ofsaid sheet when fed over said narrow support to prevent sag, stops forpreventing back movement of said sheet, and means independent of saidfeed fingers for setting said sheet back against said back stop, saidback-setting means comprising a spring-pressed rod acting in the line ofadvance of the sheet.

3. In sheet metal working machines, the combination of a relativelynarrow support, a reciprocatory feed means adapted to feed a sheet ofmetal over said support with its edges projecting into space on eachside of said support, said reciprocatory feed means comprising feedfingers having recessed portions for supporting the projecting portionsof said sheet when fed over said narrow support to prevent sag, stopsfor preventing back movement of said sheet, and means independent ofsaid feed fingers for setting said sheet back against said back stop.

4:. In sheet metal Working machines, the combination of a relativelynarrow support, a reciprocatory feed means adapted to feed a sheet ofmetal over said support with its edges projecting into space on eachside of said support, said reciprocatory feed means comprising feedfingers having recessed por tions for supporting the projecting portionsof said sheet when fed over said narrow support to prevent sag, stopsfor preventing back movement of said sheet, and means independent ofsaid feed fingers for setting said sheet back against said back stop,said back-setting means comprising a springpressed rod acting in theline of advance of the sheet.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

PETER KRUSE.

Witnesses:

AUcUsT LOKAN, FREDK C. FLADD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Yatents, Washington, D. G.

